Blind Intuition
by WhisperToMeSoftly
Summary: When a member of the gang is captured, Zuko's world is thrown into a turmoil. But as the prisoner shows him a different way of life, Zuko finally begins to see what it means do the right thing. LAST CHAPTER IS UP.
1. The New Prisoner

(Synopsis was a little bad…)

A/N Just so you all know, this is not a Zuko/Toph pairing or anything. At least, that's not my intention. My intention is just that Toph might give Zuko a little moral help, just like Iroh—she might put him on the right path.

**Mostly it's about Zuko making the right choice, and Toph learning that asking for help is not weakness.**

**That boldness formatting problem up there is weird. And I don't know what's wrong.**

**I own nothing.**

A breeze stirred the trees of the courtyard; leaves glided to the ground, landing silently beside the solitary young man leaning against a tree. He sat on the ground, playing with something metallic in his hands.

It was dark. Dusk had long passed. The only light came from various torches lit around the perimeter of the garden, although the young man's face remained in shadow as he kept his head down. His black hair had grown long; it shaded his eyes almost completely from view as he gazed at the painted object he held. It had bold shades of red and gold, although they had faded with age, and it was shaped like a curving flame. A Fire Nation crown.

He set it aside, looking up, and into the darkness. Now his face was visible to the flickering torchlight: he was young, but his golden eyes showed age. One of them was marred by a large red scar, tearing across the left side of his face.

Prince Zuko was thinking.

He was thinking about what the crown meant, what it represented. Two bloodlines, manifested in him. Two sides of a battle that had lasted for generations. He sighed, combing his hair back from his face with his fingers. He knew his new life—with Mai, his honor, his father's love—was too good to be true. Why was it always him?

He threw an arm across his knee, scowling at the crown beside him. Iroh gave it to him for a reason; to try and tell him something. Something that he had to do. But how could he possibly do it? How could he bring peace without defying his father, without getting Azula out of the way, while still maintaining the dignity of the proud Fire Nation? Wasn't that the Avatar's job?

The Avatar. Even the thought of that boy made Zuko's stomach clench. He was alive, that much Zuko knew. He must be off planning his attack with those two kids from the water tribe and whoever that earthbender girl had been…he had only seen the girl for a moment, and that was while he was fighting Azula. He had only thought of it later, how the Avatar had added another to his entourage. She seemed to be quite skilled at earthbending. Had the Avatar learned from her yet?

This train of thought tangled up Zuko's mind, causing him to place both palms on his forehead. That wasn't his problem now; he needed to focus on the moment…focus on the moment…

The bells rang, their raucous peals shattering the silence of the night and signifying an important visitor. Zuko looked up in surprise, catching sight of several people running towards the main hall. Of course, Azula was walking nonchalantly.

Zuko chose another hallway to avoid them, and began to run.

-x-x-

The first thought through her mind was the pain—always the pain. But she forcefully pushed it away, resuming her struggles.

The guard holding her buckled under her writhing weight, growling in frustration. "Hey! I need help!" he called. Two more guards came, one taking her shoulders, and another taking her feet. She closed her eyes in agony as they touched her feet.

_Damn them,_ she thought with a passion. _How did they know to do that?_

At the moment, her feet were wrapped in many layers of cloth, secured to her ankles by bands of metal. The girl was tempted to bend the metal, forcing it to release her, but the soft cloth was comforting her burns somewhat. She had no intentions of taking it off. Plus, they held her up in the air anyway; if she had taken the cloth off, she still wouldn't have been able to see.

She didn't even know if she could even walk, at this point.

She fought back tears, biting her lip until blood came. _Stupid, stupid, stupid…_ Toph Bei Fong was feeling several emotions all at once, and had the strange sensation that they were assaulting her one after the other. Frustration, rage, helplessness, despair, hope—not only were they battling with her desire to suppress them, they were also battling with themselves.

"Who do we have here?" came a voice. Male, it sounded like. She felt the guards under her freeze, and stand at attention.

Taking advantage of the situation, she began to buck against her captors even harder. They scrambled to keep hold—she could feel their fingers brushing against her arms and legs, trying to trap her in their grasp once again. She was strong.

But small, and outnumbered. Her earthbending was horribly limited when she was held off the ground, and since she couldn't 'see' the earth she was bending, it would probably have disastrous consequences. This time, two more people came to help. By the end of the struggle, Toph's arms and legs all had their own guards. She was locked in place.

Over the pandemonium of 'hold her! Hold her!' and 'you take that arm!' she heard someone laughing. It was a female voice. High, and cackling. When Toph finally stopped struggling, she smiled grimly and said, "You laugh like a witch."

"Do I?" the female voice said quietly, dangerously. Toph could hear her footsteps coming nearer. "Perhaps I am a witch. You'd never be able to tell, would you?" She turned to the guards: "You fools. She's blind. Why in the name of Sozin would you bring her here?"

"Princess Azula," said a guard to the left. "We conquered an Earth Kingdom town on the southwestern coast. There were wanted posters for a blind girl, and they offered a large reward. It also noted at the bottom that she may have run away with a boy…a boy with a blue arrow tattoo on his head."

The silence could have been cut with a knife. Toph barely dared to breathe, for some reason unwilling to break the dead quiet.

"We recognized her on our way back to the capitol," he continued. "It was kind of hard to miss her; you don't see that many blind girls around, and she fit the description perfectly."

Toph heard footsteps again, this time from farther away. They got closer rather fast—the person was running.

"Zuko," Azula said sweetly. "We have a prisoner."

-x-x-

_How did she get here before me? _was Zuko's first thought as he arrived, rather miffed that he was the one running, and he was the last one to appear.

His next thought was on the small earthbender held by four guards at once: _I know her._ He also saw a flash of recognition pass her face at his name, although she masked it instantly. He hid all traces of realization from his expression as well.

"I see that," he said sullenly, looking her up and down like he'd never seen her before.

"They think she was with the Avatar," Azula continued, her sharp gaze now trained on the blind girl. There was something behind her expression…it looked almost gleeful.

"Why does that matter?" Zuko asked, shooting her a mild glare. "The Avatar is dead."

-x-x-

It suddenly occurred to Toph that she should be confirming this adamantly. No one should know that Aang lived, especially not the royal family of the Fire Nation.

"You killed him!" she cried wildly to where Azula's voice had come from, acting the part of a distraught little girl. "You murdered him in cold blood! All he ever wanted was peace! You—"

Azula slapped her. It was a stinging blow, and without her earthbending to see, it caught Toph completely by surprise. She gasped; her head now turned the other way. Her neck felt like it had been twisted to the breaking point.

"Silly girl. Zuko was the one who dealt the final blow. _He_ killed the Avatar."

It took a few moments for this to sink in. No, it had definitely been Azula. Katara had been sure of it as she tearfully told her and Sokka the story, on Appa's back as they escaped the conquered Ba Sing Se. And she had talked of Azula using several very unattractive words. According to her, Azula had hit him with lightning while he was in the Avatar State.

But she might as well play along; pretend she was surprised to be mistaken. There was obviously a reason for the princess to place the glory upon Zuko's shoulders.

So instead of protesting, proclaiming that she was right, she maintained a stoic silence, scowling as if she was thinking. Zuko put in: "You can't expect her to know that, Azula. She is blind, after all."

"Ah, well, I suppose you're right," Azula replied. Toph heard her clothing move like she was shrugging her shoulders. "Why are her feet wrapped in cloth?"

"They're burned, princess," the guard said humbly.

"Burned?" Zuko sounded astonished. "Why did you burn her feet?"

"She was an earthbender," he replied, as if it was the simplest thing in all the world. "She was fighting us horribly. Then Lao here said that earthbenders need their feet to bend, and we all started attacking her feet. Then she tripped—"

Toph remembered the rest. The foolish mistake, the sudden, horrifying realization that she was falling, and then the sharp, roaring agony…

"Take her to my chambers, we'll question her," came Azula's abrupt reply.

Toph shivered involuntarily.


	2. Interrogation and Healing

**A/N – That last chapter wasn't exactly very good writing, was it? **

**I'll try harder, I promise. :) Constructive criticism is welcomed and loved.**

Zuko's immediate response was 'no', or something to that effect. _He _needed to be the one to question the girl. Had the assassin caught up with them yet? Was he on their trail? Did they get separated?

But he wasn't stupid. "I want to go with you," he said shortly, folding his arms across his chest.

Azula gave him a sharp glance, her dangerously beautiful face still and unmoving. "All right," she replied. "But I ask the questions. You watch."

Zuko didn't bother to nod. She had already started up the steps anyway, with the guards and the girl close behind. The prince joined the entourage, trailing at the end, lost in his own thoughts.

-x-x-

Toph was tied to an amazingly comfortable chair. Nice silk-covered cushions, armrests that were perfect for her height, a straight back…It was nice and warm in the room, assumably from the roaring fire that she could hear over to her left.

Funnily enough, she had thought she was being taken to a dungeon—apparently not.

"Where is the Avatar?"

"Right behind you."

Azula didn't even grace that with a response. Instead, she began to pace slowly; Toph could hear her rhythmic, purposeful steps going back and forth, back and forth. "Where is the Avatar?" she repeated.

Toph's voice took on a mutinous tone. "You killed him," she replied with a scowl. "He's dead."

Azula stopped. "It was Zuko, silly girl," she said in that low, dangerous voice she had first used. "Don't forget it." Zuko shifted a small bit near the wall behind Azula—she could hear his clothing moving.

Shrugging, Toph responded with despair, "It doesn't matter. The Avatar is gone again. Aang is gone."

She heard a sigh from the Fire Nation princess as she began to pace again. It was obvious Azula didn't believe a word she said, but apparently she was trying a different tactic. "Where are your friends?"

"We had a fight," Toph said sadly, lying through her teeth. "Katara blamed herself for Aang's death. I told her to quit moping; that it was going to drive me insane. Sokka yelled at me, Katara told him to stop…" It was so easy, this acting. She had no idea she was so good at it. Tears welled in her eyes. "We didn't see each other after that. I went to the city. I think they went back to the North Pole."

-x-x-

She was an excellent actor.

Zuko knew the Avatar was alive, he just knew it. And if the Avatar was alive, the group had never split up. Which meant the water tribe siblings were out there, waiting with the airbender. Would they risk revealing his existence to save this girl?

They'd better not. His 'hired help' would have to get to them first.

Fear suddenly gripped at his heart. What if he didn't? What if they came, trying to rescue the earthbender, and displayed for the entire world to see that the Avatar was alive, and Zuko had failed? What would happen to him?

Azula backslapped her across the face. Tied to a chair, it made the entire seat rock. "I know you're lying," she said simply, as if it were a normal conversation. Toph's face was turned towards Zuko now; he could see anger building in her clouded eyes.

"Oh, do you now?" she responded furiously, facing her persecutor. "No you don't! You have no idea how I feel! I just lost all the people who had ever been nice to me, who had ever seen me for who I really was! They accepted me! Now…" Her voice broke. Zuko was amazed at her ability. "…Now Aang is dead. Sokka hates me, and Katara never wants to see me again. Which means I'm trapped here in this trash pit with you, probably until I die. I have no one and nothing to go back to." Tears streamed down her face.

Zuko made a mental note that he had to talk to her alone, and soon. He needed to attack her defenses before she came up with a solid story, then she might be more willing to tell him the truth.

He was hesitant to use more forceful means of extracting information.

Azula sighed again. "_Fine,_" she exclaimed. "Just go ruin my fun. And here I was thinking the Avatar was still alive."

-x-x-

Toph's ears focused on Azula's words now, although she kept her head down. Why would she think the Avatar was alive?

"Zuko had been acting so strange…" She could hear the princess turn her head towards her brother. "I knew he was hiding something. I know he believed the Avatar to have survived, even if he didn't know it for sure. Didn't you, Zuzu?"

"_Zuzu?_" Toph repeated with a laugh, hearing Zuko growl quietly in his throat.

With that, the interrogation was over.

-x-x-

Zuko stalked down the stairs, fuming. Firstly, he had been expecting Azula to be more forceful with the girl. But instead, she was satisfied with just slapping her once.

That wasn't Azula.

She must have been trying to get the girl to confirm that the Avatar was dead, in front of him. Then he would give up his efforts to find and kill him, the Avatar would return, and Zuko would be shamed once more in front of his nation.

Well, that wouldn't happen.

Secondly: she had called him 'Zuzu' in front of someone else.

He forcefully threw the door open, walking into the healer's room with his face contorted in a scowl. The scene he had walked in on froze, like a painting: the earthbender girl was twisting in the grasp of two guards, her feet unbound and shining red; the healer was looking flustered and scared; the tiles around the room were broken, thrown, or uplifted and piled on top of one another; and Ty Lee stood off to one corner, looking satisfied.

"What happened?" Zuko demanded.

"We unwrapped her feet for the healer to see," a guard began, struggling to keep hold on Toph's arms. "But as soon as her feet touched the floor, she began to earthbend. Ty Lee struck her just in time."

"She won't be able to bend for three days," the acrobat said happily, flipping her braid over her shoulder. "I only came up here to see what she looked like. She's an ugly little thing, isn't she? Are all Earth Kingdom people like that?"

Toph's struggles became more profound, more desperate and angry. Ty Lee, apparently not expecting a response from the stoic prince, angry guards, writhing prisoner or shellshocked healer, struck several choice points on the girl's body with the precision of a needle.

Toph became instantly limp.

"There we go!" Ty Lee said in a singsong voice. "She won't move for a while, an hour at least."

"Thank you," the healer said in a rush, as sighs of relief came from the guards. "Thank you very much."

"Welcome!" she replied, cartwheeling out of the room. Zuko quickly stepped out of the way as her feet whizzed by his head.

"I'll be back here in an hour to pick her up," he said sharply, whirling and closing the door just as the guards lowered her into a chair. Out in the hallway, Zuko could only just hear the healer's next words:

"These are really bad burns."

And Toph's response: "Go to hell."


	3. Prince of Pansies

A/N – Thanks for all your reviews, guys. :D 

**Responding to some of them: Like I said before, this will not be a Toko. I just thought, quoting MoonlitInuko, that "****Toph is a person who is quite capable of whipping Zuko into shape". That's really the only relationship they'll have, although Zuko might mellow Toph out a little as well (I'm waiting to see how it turns out.) I'm glad you liked that last chapter; this one will be even better! (They actually talk to each other.) **

**And yes. This chapter is longer than the previous two. X3**

**I love con-crit.**

**I own nothing.**

Toph knew as soon as she stood up that something was wrong.

Her feet were still wrapped in cloth, but less of it this time. The healer had improved her burns; now she only had faint red scars. They stung when exposed to open air. However, this wasn't her problem.

The problem was that she couldn't see.

The cruel, happy girl that had poked her had truly taken away her earthbending. She was blind—actually blind. She was so shocked, so astonished, that once she took a step, she fell flat on her face.

"Get up," the healer said in distaste, nudging her hard in the ribs with his foot. Toph scowled, placing her hands on the ground to try and feel the man's heartbeat.

Still nothing.

"He said get up." It was another voice, one more familiar. Toph looked up towards the source. The prince was standing above her.

"Make me," Toph said plainly, dropping so that she lay splayed on the stone floor.

Zuko yanked her up by the arm so hard she felt like he had torn it out of his socket. Stubbornly, she didn't make a sound. He was strong; she suddenly found herself dangling a foot off the ground, and being dragged out the door. "Hey, let go!" she exclaimed, struggling. It didn't seem to make much of a difference.

"We need to have a little talk," came the cold voice. Toph wished she could fold her arms grumpily, but currently one of them was in the possession of the moody prince.

"I've heard about you, you know," she said haughtily, trying to goad him. "You're 'the angry freak with the ponytail'."

Zuko actually chuckled, to her chagrin. "Don't have a ponytail anymore," he said. "Of course, you wouldn't be able to see that."

"Boohoo," Toph retorted. "It's not like I'm missing that much." Zuko said nothing.

A wooden door creaked against the stone. Suddenly, Toph was thrown forward and on to the ground. She landed heavily with an 'oomph', still unaccustomed to her lack of sight. She couldn't see where she was, or where Zuko was.

The door creaked shut.

"All right then, it's just you and me."

Toph sat up, legs helter-skelter in front of her, looking bored. "Uh-huh."

"Where's the Avatar?"

She threw up her hands, exasperated. "Why do you keep asking me that?!" she shouted. "He's DEAD, you idiot! Azula KILLED him. How many times must I say it?"

"Except we both know you're lying," Zuko replied savagely. "The waterbender had water from the spring at the North Pole, magical water. Water she could use to heal. She healed him, he's alive, and you just don't want me to know it."

Toph hesitated. How could he possibly know that? "The water didn't work," she said quietly. "She tried it, over and over again. It didn't work." Then her clouded eyes once more took on their fiery anger. "And how would _you_ know that, Prince of Pansies?"

Zuko didn't reply to her insult. "She told me, when we were in the cave together. Azula imprisoned us both."

Toph suddenly remembered: the tea man, coming to their door, asking for help. Help to rescue his nephew, who was imprisoned with Katara.

The nephew who he had been tracking several weeks earlier, because he had wanted to be there for him.

"Where's your uncle?" she asked, and this time the softness of her voice wasn't acting.

-x-x-

Zuko tensed. How did she know about his uncle, besides when they fought Azula side-by-side so many months ago? That was the only time he remembered seeing her, and even then, she probably hadn't seen him or his uncle. She was blind, after all.

Wait…if she was blind, how could she earthbend accurately? She had thrown some pretty good attacks at Azula, but only someone who could see could be that sharp.

"How do you see?" he asked bluntly, ignoring her other question.

"Through earthbending," Toph replied in a tired voice, suggesting that she had answered this question a lot. "Where's your uncle?"

"So you can't see anymore?"

She took on a bitter tone: "Please don't tell me all that fire has burned away your brains. No DUH I can't see anymore, Prince Pansy. Where's your uncle?"

Zuko still refused to answer. "_Where's the Avatar?_" he asked again, furiously.

"He's DEAD," Toph screamed with a sudden ferocity, jumping to her feet. Her face was twisted with rage and frustration. "You dumb moron! Aang's dead, Katara's water didn't work, I'm BLIND, the world is doomed, and you're standing there asking me the same question _over and OVER!_" She started swinging punches, but they were easy to dodge. She couldn't see, after all. Her arms swung wildly back and forth, tears beginning to leak from her eyes. He wondered whether the tears were real, or acting.

-x-x-

Damn, she was crying. She wasn't even sure why; all she knew was that it wasn't acting. Perhaps it was just all the stress: being picked up and dragged by a prince much bigger and stronger than her; losing her sight, making her helpless and weak; having to act all the time, always on her toes, unable to let any stray emotion rise to the surface. Whatever the reason, her eyes stung, and her cheeks were wet.

"_Where's your uncle?! Where is he, you sick bast—_"

Zuko caught her wrists. It was a gentler grasp than she had expected, and surprise made her freeze.

"Azula gave me the decision as to what to do with you," he said quietly, sounding like he was thinking hard about something. Toph didn't speak. She didn't dare. "And I'm not quite sure what use we can put to a blind girl whose only talent is dirt."

Toph bristled. "I can do a lot more than _dirt_, if I could only _see._"

"Gardening it is, then."

He took her by the arm again, although this time he kept her feet on the ground. He didn't grip her as hard. His sudden change of mood had put her in such a shock, she didn't fight.

He led her down several hallways, taking turn after turn after turn. Toph lost track of where they were. Occasionally she would stub her toe on an uplifted stone, and would begin cursing wildly. Zuko would ignore her, dragging her on. He remained silent the entire time. She wondered what he was thinking about.

-x-x-

Perhaps she wouldn't have affected him so much if she didn't keep asking about his uncle. How did she know about Iroh? The question pushed its way forcefully to the front of his mind, and would not go away. He had only seen her once…Iroh had only seen her once…and that was in the middle of a battle. How did she know he was his uncle? Obviously she didn't know his name.

He was almost afraid to ask. He feared the answer more than anything else. Yet, he desperately wanted to know. He wouldn't answer her when she asked where Iroh was; Zuko was too ashamed. A small voice in his head still told him that he had betrayed his uncle, not the other way around. And he was sure that she wouldn't exactly take his side on this one if he told her.

He opened the door to the southwest courtyard. The cool night air struck him like a heavy curtain. The sky was clear above his head, and stars sparkled in the—

Toph tripped down the step entering the courtyard, yanking Zuko's arm downwards and immediately calling out several profanities. "Didn't learn those from the Avatar, I'm assuming," he said dryly, pulling her to her feet. She wavered unsteadily at first, placing both hands on his arm.

"No, not from him," the earthbender replied, her voice just as flat. She let go of him entirely, walking forward cautiously on her own. Zuko watched her place her feet carefully, and he could see the concentration on her face. "I wish I could feel the ground," she grumbled, standing alone in the middle of the courtyard, silhouetted only by the stars. "I feel helpless."

"You _are_ helpless," Zuko said bluntly. "You're blind."

Toph whirled on him angrily, her face twisting again. He was becoming used to the expression. "Shut up!" she yelled. "I am _not_ helpless! I can beat your butt any time! Just watch me!" She started forward towards him with furious, purposeful steps.

Suddenly there came a dip in the terrain, and she tilted dangerously to the side. Zuko thought to catch her, and actually reached out a hand—then pulled it back. She tumbled to the ground.

"You're pathetic," he told her venomously. "Stop trying to defy what you really are. If you just keep pretending, acting, running away from your fate, you'll never be able to help yourself."

-x-x-

Toph remained on the ground. She didn't even try to get up. She felt tired, worn, and stressed beyond belief. It felt good just to lie down, and not move. She lay on her front, her cheek against the grass, her arms spread wide.

"Good advice," she said honestly, closing her eyes and focusing on the feel of cool grass against her skin. "Too bad it isn't yours. It's your uncle's."

His uncle was the wise man. This nephew was the foolhardy young man who never knew what he wanted. Those couldn't be his words. He had taken them from the old man.

Zuko remained silent, and she knew she had gotten to him. "Something happened to him," Toph said, more a statement than a question. "Something that's your fault. You caused it."

More silence. Toph's heart seemed to stop.

"…Is he dead?"

She heard him take a deep breath. She held her own, waiting for his response.

It didn't come. He let it all out in a sigh. Toph did the same, clenching fistfuls of grass in her hands. No, he couldn't be dead…

"This is where you're going to work," Zuko said, breaking the silence. Toph opened her eyes. "This courtyard hasn't been worked in years. You are going to fix it up, make it look nice. None of the plants are dead yet, just wild and overgrown."

"If you think, for some strange reason, that I have any kind of green thumb—"

"You don't have a choice, Dirt Girl."

Toph scowled into the ground, only to have it taken away from her as Zuko lifted her up again. He took her arm in a harder grasp this time, leading her away. She remembered to step up as she exited the courtyard. Worst of all, Toph felt the cool touch of night air slip away from her as she once more entered the hot, stifling palace of the Fire Nation.

"You'll be sleeping on the floor in my room," he said. "A blind servant is a liability, and they want you watched. You can't sleep with the other servants."

"So I get a little towel in the corner, like a pet," she spat. "How kind of you, Pansy Prince. And I thought I was going to be treated like a prisoner."

"You get a pallet, like the rest of the servants, with a blanket," Zuko replied, his voice raised above her sarcasm. He hesitated for a moment, then added, "And yes, it is in the corner."

Toph closed her eyes and sighed. "At least you aren't throwing me raw meat through the bars of a cage."

"Azula mentioned something like that…I talked her down. We can't waste raw meat on you."

"Was that a joke?"

"Not really."


	4. Shrubberies and Acting

**A/N Sorry it took so long.**

**-shamelesslybeggingforconcrit- **

**And I must note, on that topic, that when I take it from Toph's point of view, there's almost absolutely no imagery. Because she's blind. So writing well from that perspective is harder, but I'm doing the best I can.**

**This one is also rather short, but I like it.**

**I own nothing.**

Toph awoke to a kick in the ribs. It didn't hurt very much; the persecutor was obviously a girl. Toph just rolled over in response to face the wall, slowly and purposefully stretching her arms up over her head. She wasn't going to get up unless they made her.

"You really do have a death wish, don't you?" the girl asked, her voice monotone. "I thought they were kidding. Zuko, your servant won't get up."

"What makes you think she's _my_ servant?" Zuko asked irritably from the other side of the room. "I just gave her a job."

"Either way, she's sleeping in your room, and she's not getting up. I am _not_ pulling her off the floor, and I'm certainly not carrying her down to the courtyard."

Toph heard Zuko sigh. "I'll do it then."

Uh-oh.

She had barely a second to prepare herself before Zuko grabbed her arm and hoisted her up into the air. "Let's go, Dirt Girl."

"You should've told me she had a name," the girl said snidely. "I thought she was just 'the earthbender'. 'Dirt Girl' sounds so much prettier."

Toph growled.

It didn't take as long, it seemed, to get down to the courtyard of the night before. Zuko promptly dropped her on to the grass, without even taking the step down on to the path. Toph's feet, still sore and stinging, failed to support her and she fell to her knees.

"Your tools are right here," he said brusquely, taking her hand and placing it on a box nearby. "Start on this side of the—"

"Is that the earthbender?" came a loud voice from the other side of the courtyard. The speaker sounded like he was large in girth. "She'd better not mess up my shrubberies—I'll flay her until she bleeds!"

"I'll tell her that," came the annoyed reply. "That's the Servant Lord," Zuko told her, more quietly. "Please don't cross him. The healer charges quite a lot, and we'd prefer not to spend any more money on you than we have to."

Toph fingered the tools in the box, feeling various metal handles and sharp edges. "I have no idea how to garden," she said flatly. "None at all. How do you expect me to do anything?"

Zuko sighed. Toph had now reached the conclusion that there was very little in the world that didn't annoy him. "Just trim all the bushes away from the paths, and pull all the weeds. You can do that, right?"

"How am I supposed to tell the weeds from the flowers?"

"You still have your sense of touch, if I'm not mistaken."

She heard him stand and turn, preparing to walk away. "Wait," she called after him softly. His steps halted. "What was your uncle's name?"

There was a moment of silence. Trepidation filled her, and she feared that he wasn't going to tell her. "Iroh," the prince replied. "His name was Iroh. He used to read in this garden all the time."

He walked away. Toph was left kneeling in the grass, staring straight ahead, one hand gripping the handle of a tool, surrounded by wild and hostile plants.

She took a deep breath; beginning to decipher which tool was which. It was time for a vegetation war.

-x-x-

He hadn't expected her to give in so easily. She had readily accepted her task, with very little argument except to state that she didn't know how to garden. It must be some trick.

And so, with his suspicions mulling around in his mind, Zuko crept silently back to the courtyard. From his vantage point against the stone wall, he could easily see the entire area. Toph remained kneeling on the ground, her hands busy with the tools. He watched as she traced her fingers over the edge of everything, trying to figure out what it was. As soon as she did, she placed the tools in a certain order, so that she could remember which was which.

She was a rather bright young girl.

Her next task was mapping out the paths. She crawled around them for a long time, tracing them with her hands (since her feet were covered). She went in circles, figure eights, taking every possible turn, obviously trying very hard to memorize where everything was—the expression on her face was one of deep concentration. She bit her lip whenever she wandered out on to the grass, whenever she felt that there was no turn where she thought there was.

Zuko was sitting by this time, watching her with increased interest. He knew that she wasn't used to being blind, and it must have been an odd sensation. It was a challenge to feel your way around, to be unable to use your eyes.

A challenge…

A sudden idea appeared in Zuko's mind, but it was pushed away as Toph went to her tools again. She didn't need to feel the edges of them this time; she had memorized the order in which she had placed them. The first tool she grasped were the miniature shears, and even in miniature size, they were still big in her hands. She felt her way over to the first shrub, looking like a monkey as she tried to find her way with her hands.

Her fingers grazed over the bush, tracing the edges of every leaf, every stem. Her other hand sought the edge of the path, far beneath the overhanging branches.

"We have some work to do, don't we?" she said, apparently to the bush. She took the shears, beginning to carefully clip select branches that she felt were too long. "You went too far. The path isn't yours; it belongs to the people who walk on it. Little thief."

Zuko's forehead furrowed into a frown as he listened. He had never heard her put so many words together at once. His frown faded into an expression of surprise as she continued to scold the bush.

"You're just like the Fire Nation, thinking just because you can take things that you should. The Earth Kingdom wasn't theirs, but they stole it anyway just to show that they could." Her clipping became faster, and she snipped the branches with more ferocity. "Just stay where you are, stupid bush! Isn't your own lot good enough?"

She obviously wasn't talking about the bush anymore, as much as she was talking _to_ the bush.

Zuko stood silently and left, feeling troubled without knowing why.

-x-x-

Toph heard Zuko's footsteps fade away, and smile. She hoped he had enjoyed that little play, meant for his benefit. It was rather fun to perform.

Her clipping slowed, and became more deliberate. This wasn't so hard. Of course, the bush would look ugly for a while, with no leaves on one side—but it was a necessary sacrifice. Mr. Flay-Her-Till-She-Bleeds would have to live with it.

"Just you and me now, hm?" she told the bush, not altogether unkindly. "Prince Pansy left us all to ourselves. Sorry I had to yell at you before. I just thought I'd give him something to think about, since he had the nerve to eavesdrop on me."

_Snip. Snip. Snip._

"Do you think the Fire Nation is right, in conquering others? Of course you do, you're a Fire Nation plant. But what if it wasn't right? What if they were just doing it for their own gain? Would you still agree with them?"

Toph actually stopped her clipping, almost half-expecting an answer. Then she dropped the shears.

"I'm talking to a PLANT!" she exclaimed, rubbing her forehead hard with the heel of her hand. Her words echoed in the empty walls of the courtyard, coming back to hit her gently. She sighed, closing her eyes.

Well. One plant down, twenty-nine more to go.


	5. Flowerbeds

A/N You guys are so awesome. D Thanks for all the reviews. And muchos gracias for the description advice, Angelic Lily.

**I'll try and make this one a little longer, for those of you who enjoy bigger chunks of the story. **

**I own nothing.**

"Aren't you supposed to be watching someone?"

Zuko scowled, his body frozen in a firebending position. He had been going through a cycle of movements out in the field, practicing positions without using fire. Yet. It took concentration to remember where he was supposed to be at different times, and to balance. To keep his center of gravity where it was meant to be.

"Watching who?" he replied irritably, sweeping his arm forward and bending his knee, taking on the position of the Dragon.

He could almost sense Azula's arrogant smirk at his back. "Your servant, of course."

"Why does everyone say she's _my _servant?" Zuko growled, dropping his stance and turning to face her. As he had suspected, she was wearing her usual smug expression, leaning casually against a tree. Anger boiled within him at the sight of her. "She isn't even a servant! She's a slave!"

"Slavery was outlawed, dear brother," Azula said flatly, her smirk never dropping. "The fact that we don't pay her is irrelevant."

"To you, maybe," he said quietly as he turned away, thinking of Toph's difficulties in mapping out the entire courtyard on her hands and knees.

"What was that?" his sister asked with a sudden frown.

"I said, 'We don't pay babies,'" Zuko invented on the spot, still turned away from her. "She's a whiner."

"I suspected as much. She's an earthbender, after all. Anyway, back to my original question." She shifted positions, resting her forearm against the tree. "Why aren't you watching her?"

"She can't run. She's blind," he said shortly, trying to restart his firebending cycle and finding it very hard to concentrate. He suspected it was because Azula was standing right behind him—a very likely suspicion. "And it's not like she'll do anything stupid. She met the Servant Lord earlier."

Azula stood up straight, preparing to leave. "I don't know, Zuzu," she said in her mocking sing-song voice. "Those earthbenders…they take a lot of risks. You can never really be sure, can you?"

Zuko turned his head, glaring at her over his shoulder. She smiled 'sweetly' at him, and turned to walk away.

Just before she did, he caught the sharp glint in her eye. She knew something.

Damn her.

Zuko reached for his robe, throwing it over his shoulders and tying it around his waist. Maybe checking on Dirt Girl was a good idea.

-x-x-

Toph pulled and yanked, tugged and jerked—all to no avail. "Stupid weed," she muttered, placing her feet firmly on the ground, her bottom on the stone path, and repositioning her hands on the stem. "Come _on_!"

With a sudden burst, the plant flew from the ground, throwing Toph backwards on to her back, to land on the path amongst dirt and flora. "Gotcha," she said with satisfaction, throwing the plant to join the rest of them. The sunlight was so warm on her face…it felt wonderful. She had been shocked to find that the sun actually _did_ shine in the Fire Nation; it wasn't hidden by smog. She hadn't really seen a lot of sun since their arrival so many weeks ago…

Memories began to surface, memories of her friends. Would they come after her? They shouldn't, it would be stupid., especially if Aang came. They shouldn't reveal the Avatar's presence just for her.

A sudden vision of Sokka bursting through the double doors, ebony sword raised high, calling her name—

"What did you do?!" Zuko shouted above her head. She opened her eyes, realizing that she was sprawled on her back in a pile of dirt in front of the Pansy Prince. Maintaining her composure, she slowly and deliberately got to her feet.

"Well, I decided I would only do one side at a time," she said, with the air of a teacher's pet reporting to the class. "So I started with that side. After I trimmed all the bushes, I thought I would do the weeding next. So I did. I just got finished with the last plant." She tilted her head, trying to hide the smirk. "Is something wrong?"

"You pulled all the flowers!" Zuko cried, his voice almost pleading. "All of them!"

"Really?" Toph gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. Oh, such acting! He was such a gullible Pansy. "I had no idea. I thought they were all weeds."

She heard Zuko's breathing quicken. She wished she could feel his heartbeat; she knew it would have been racing with anger.

"Weeds. And. Flowers. Are. Very. _Different,_" he said haltingly. "You can _feel _the difference. One is spiky, the other is _not_."

Toph shrugged, palms facing upwards. "Well, _I _didn't know that," she said innocently. "I told you I didn't have a green thumb. Flowers and I don't get along very well."

"You could still have told the difference between weeds and flowers!" Zuko shouted. There was no pleading in his voice this time, just anger. Toph knew she had gotten to him now. It became harder to hide the smirk.

"Well, I couldn't," she said simply, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'm terribly sorry, Prince Pansy."

"Dirt Girl," Zuko snarled, advancing towards her. She heard his furious footsteps, and backed up quickly, a scowl beginning to form on her face.

"You blinded me. Surely you didn't expect much when you gave me this job?"

She felt Zuko's large hand snatch her upper arm, and pull it closer to him. "Listen to me," he said quietly, dangerously. "I want all these flowers put back, and the weeds thrown away."

"I've forgotten where the flowers go," Toph said defiantly, looking straight ahead. "And I can't tell the weeds from the flowers."

She heard Zuko take a breath, about to say something in retort; but another set of footsteps was approaching, heavier than Zuko's. Their weight was familiar.

Uh-oh.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FLOWERBEDS?!" a deep voice bellowed from across the courtyard. Toph felt Zuko stiffen.

"I can't do anything for you now, Dirt Girl," he said. His voice was mixed; Toph couldn't discern the emotion. Was it vindictive? Sympathetic? Resentful? Regretful?

Too late to figure it out. Zuko's footsteps backed away from her, and the heavier footsteps were getting closer by the second. The Servant Lord was barreling towards her. She backed up more and more, her feet hitting the dirt of the flowerbed. Finally, her back hit the stone wall—dammit, she was trapped—and a fat fist slammed into the stone just inches from her right ear.

"You're coming with me, earth-wench," he breathed softly into her face. His breath was hot, and it smelled like whiskey.

"No," Toph said stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest. (Did she just hear Zuko suck in a breath?) The Servant Lord stamped on her foot—hard.

Although it had been healed, the burn was still fresh. A loud scream escaped Toph's lips before she could stop it, and she doubled over in pain. The Servant Lord pulled her up abruptly, and carried her much like Zuko had the first night; in the air, by her arm. She looked back at Zuko with a resigned look, unwilling to let him see her despair.

She wished she could see his expression.

-x-x-

Zuko couldn't get in the way of the Servant Lord—he obeyed Ozai only. Princes had no authority over him.

He was furious with the earthbender. She had done it on purpose, he knew it. It was easy to tell flowers from weeds! And a bright girl her age, even if she was blind, would be able to discern one from the other with ease. And just to annoy him, she had pulled everything.

He gazed exasperatedly over the garden path. Flowers were strewn amidst a sea of mud and dirt. She hadn't pulled them out cleanly; that much was for sure. The flowerbed was gutted. It looked like someone had shot it with a cannon multiple times. She would have to replant every flower when she got back.

When she got back…Zuko felt an involuntary pang of pity for the girl. The Servant Lord was notorious for being unkind and cruel. The servants, consequently, were obedient and docile. After all, their pay was rather large for servants. They should be thankful.

Zuko ran a hand through his hair, his mind teeming with conflicting thoughts—did she get what she deserved, for such an act of defiance? Or was it unfair to her?

He made a _hmph_ing noise. Why would it be unfair? She broke the rules. A punishment was a punishment.

An idea crossed his mind: Uncle. Maybe he could go to Iroh, ask for his advice.

Zuko turned and stomped away, immediately trashing the notion. No. He would work this out on his own. He didn't need his uncle's help for every little thing; he was strong. He could make sense of his feelings by himself.

Still…perhaps Iroh would like to know of the earthbender. She knew him—did he know her?

He stepped into the torch-lit darkness of the corridors again, not finding it as comforting as he usually did. The lack of sunlight gave him goosebumps.

Unsettled, he walked down the hall towards his study.

-x-x-

The jail door opened with a creak. Iroh didn't turn around; he knew who it was.

"Package for you, old man," the jailer said gruffly, dropping a basket on to the floor outside his bars. Iroh waited to hear his stomping footsteps walk away, and the door creakily swinging shut. Then he turned.

His grey hair hung in his face, now. It was greasy and unkempt—but when had he ever cared about appearance before? There were deep shadows under his hazel eyes, and he swore he had more wrinkles than before.

But no matter.

He crawled to the front of the cage, gazing at the basket with interest. He took it, opening the top through the bars.

The contents were meager: a large canteen, and a roll of parchment. He took both, placing the canteen in his lap—it was very warm, he noted. Then he unrolled the parchment and held it at arm's length.

His old heart skipped a few beats as he recognized his nephew's writing. It read:

_Uncle:_

_We have taken a captive, someone who I know was with the Avatar. She keeps asking about you, and where you are. She didn't know your name, and seemed satisfied when I told her. She is a blind earthbender girl, about 12. Do you know her?_

Iroh's hand trembled slightly. The girl…a captive in the palace…she was in for a rough time.

_She reminds me of you a little. She keeps giving me these hints on what she thinks is right. She gave this little speech to a plant about how the Fire Nation was so superior—_

Iroh blinked. A plant?

_--while she knew I was listening. I almost believed her at first, but know I realize it was just an act for my benefit. She's an excellent actor._

_They're keeping her as a servant without pay, which I take to mean 'slave'. They burned her feet so that she couldn't 'see' with earthbending. She keeps restating the fact that the Avatar is dead, which only makes me believe that he's alive. Today she rebelled, pulling out all the weeds—and flowers—in the flowerbed of your favorite courtyard. The Servant Lord took her. I don't know where she is now, but she hasn't returned._

What started as mild trembling in his hands turned to shivering. The girl was in the hands of the Servant Lord? Agni help her. It was a silly thing to do, rebel against authority. Especially in the royal palace—Iroh had learned that lesson a long time ago, when he withdrew from Ba Sing Se. He was shamed for the rest of his career, just because he gave up on a lost cause and didn't follow orders through until the end.

He read on: _They keep calling her my servant, and I don't know why. No one else would take her! And I couldn't just let her wander off on her own, there's no telling what she could have gotten up to…_

He smiled. His nephew had some compassion in him yet—he just didn't know how to use it.

_I just thought I would tell you, since she keeps asking about you. I don't have time to come visit you, and I wasn't sure you would respond to me anyway. You ignored me for so long, Uncle. I couldn't understand why. _

_I don't know what to do about this girl. She's rebellious, defiant, devious, and she backtalks everyone, including Azula! She has no fear of consequences, so how can I discipline her? Even when the Servant Lord was leading her away, she just gave me this resigned expression as if she didn't care. How could she not?_

The next few lines were crossed out, but Iroh could still catch a few words.

_I…protect…know I shouldn't…why…she's an earthbender…_

Perhaps there was more hope for his nephew than he had originally thought.

The final line: _You could have sided with me in the cave, Uncle. Then you could be here, giving me advice like you always do. _

The next line was crossed out as well, but not as hard: _I miss your advice._

It was signed 'Zuko'.

Iroh placed his chin in his hands, studying the letter on the floor. That poor girl—they burned her feet so that she couldn't see? It was almost too cruel to think of. Now she was truly blind. It was like stabbing a child in the eyes, taking away their sight. And the Servant Lord…

She had asked about him. Asked his name. Where he was. It was very sweet of her to do so; she hadn't been in the cave that night. She wouldn't have heard of the proceedings. Perhaps her friends told her…but even they didn't know how he was captured as a traitor while Zuko was welcomed as a hero. She would have no idea.

He sighed, feeling intense sympathy and helplessness. There was nothing to do but wait for more news.

He turned to the canteen, spotting a note tied to the cap: _I didn't make it, so I'm sure you'll like it._ Which means he stole it, but at the moment, Iroh didn't care so much. He unscrewed the top, smelling the contents.

Tea.


	6. Connections

**A/N Mai and Zuko were so cute in last Friday's episode.**

**-shamelessMaikofan-**

**I can't wait until Day of Black Sun. I'm really freaking out right now.**

-------------------------------

It was never completely dark in the palace, not even at night. There was always some torch, some fireplace, some bed of coals…fire was its lifeblood, and it was one of the few things that remained constant in palace life.

Torchlight flickered in the corridor behind Zuko's bedroom door. He watched it, eyes open without really seeing it. He was lying in bed, his head on his arm, trying to sleep. But he couldn't. Dirt Girl weighed on his mind. She hadn't returned—it had been almost 4 hours since he had last seen her, being taken away by the Servant Lord. He knew he shouldn't worry, shouldn't care—

--but he did anyway.

It was because of this that he couldn't shut his eyes, couldn't relax. A voice in the back of his mind whispered that he should sleep, and the Servant Lord would return Toph at some point. Worry overrode it.

The door opened; torchlight fell upon Zuko's body, up to his face. The shape in his threshold was nothing more than a silhouette against the light:

"The servant, Your Highness."

A form was thrown to the floor with a thud. The door was shut. The room was once again dark, save for the torchlight below the door. And it was almost silent.

Almost. Zuko could hear soft, ragged breathing, coming unevenly in nearly inaudible gasps. She was trying to hide it, he could tell. There were long pauses where it sounded like she was holding her breath, so that he would hear nothing from her. Once again he was struck by her stubbornness, and her refusal to show weakness.

He threw back the sheets, stepping out on to the cold stone floor, and walked around to the foot of the bed. He could barely see her shape, a heap in the shadows, rising and falling with each soft, uneven breath. He lit a flame in his palm, crouching down. He could see her more clearly in the firelight—her face was turned away from him, her arms were bent and above her head. Her back was towards him—he bit back an exclamation.

The back of the shirt she was wearing was in shreds. Through it he could see her back, covered with red welts and purple bruises.

It rose and fell again, more unsteadily this time. Zuko suspected she was holding back tears.

"Come on," he told her, somewhat gruffly. "Get into your corner. I'm not having my servant sleep on the floor."

The words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop them; _did he just call her HIS servant?_

She didn't seem to notice. He took her by the arm, like he always had, but as soon as he started pulling she cried out in pain. He realized he was pulling the skin on her back when he tugged at her like that.

"Fine. Get there yourself," he told her, releasing her arm. He expected it to drop to the floor—but instead, she pushed herself off the ground, and crawled forward. Her fingers traced the foot of the bed, and she crawled along its length until she got to the corner. Then she turned at an angle, and continued until she reached the large pile of cloth that was her bed. Flopping down on to her stomach, facing away from him, she heaved a great sigh and became silent.

The room was quiet for a while. "I have a salve for those bruises," Zuko said, unable to keep it to himself—it would just be cruel. "I'll give it to you tomorrow. You'll still be expected to work."

The girl didn't reply. Zuko thought, at first, that she wasn't going to respond at all, and half-turned to return to his bed. But then he heard her, softly: "Have you ever lost your bending?"

The question made him stop. He stared at her. "No, I haven't."

Her voice was even quieter: "It's like going up the stairs, and thinking there's one more step than there is. You wait for that step to hold you, to support you, but it never comes. And instead, you fall." She took a deep breath. "I tried to flatten that guy. Drive him into a wall. Throw a boulder at him. Make a crack under his feet. Throw him into the air with a column of stone. Nothing happened. My feet hurt too much to make a stance. My earthbending never came. I fell."

Zuko said nothing. She buried her face in her arms. "Falling was what got me here in the first place."

The room was silent again.

"I'll give you that salve tomorrow," he said, extinguishing the flame in his palm, and turning towards his bed. She gave no response.

As he lay there that night, he again found it difficult to fall asleep. He believed it would have been a lot easier if he hadn't been listening for Toph's suppressed whimpers well into the early hours of the morning.

-x-x-

"Did she deserve it?"

The monotone voice again. Toph shut her eyes tight, trying to block it out.

"I don't know," Zuko responded, sounding torn. Toph noticed that he seemed much less annoyed at things when Monotone was around. "She rebelled. She pulled out all of the flowers as well as the weeds."

Monotone chuckled. "Rebellious, hm? I think it's in their blood. Took us a while to bring down Ba Sing Se. And the Dai Li betrayed their leader in an instant. Perhaps they can't help it." Toph's eyes widened. She was there! She was one of the girls who pretended to be Kyoshi warriors!

She struggled to get up, finding it very difficult. She floundered amidst the cloths of her 'bed', attempting to ignore the sharp pain in her back. A hand was placed gently but firmly on her shoulder, forcing her to drop back down to her stomach. It was a smaller hand than Zuko's, with thinner and longer fingers. "Calm down, Dirt Girl," Monotone said. "I've got to put the salve on you."

Toph relaxed with a sigh, remaining wordless. She had nothing to say to this girl.

"Zuko couldn't put on a salve to save his life," Monotone continued. "When I first came in, he didn't think this was enough!" She chuckled, but her laugh was small and quiet. It didn't seem like she laughed often. "I think he would have dumped the jar on you if I hadn't come by." Thin fingers whisked cool cream on her back, instantly soothing them, and rubbed it in gently.

"Thank you," Toph said through clenched teeth, unwilling to forget that this girl had brought down the Earth Kingdom capitol.

"Zuko, your servant has manners," Monotone observed, obviously amused. "You're welcome, Dirt Girl."

The name was beginning to stick.

"Surprise, surprise," Zuko said dryly—cloth moved. It sounded like he was putting on a robe. "And I thought earthbenders could surprise me no more."

Monotone chuckled again. "Is she still working today?"

"Yes," Zuko replied. "The Servant Lord is requiring that she fix the flowerbeds that she ruined, and finish the courtyard."

"Sounds so exciting," Monotone said sarcastically. "Would you mind terribly if I skipped that one?"

Toph could hear Zuko's smile in his voice. "I wouldn't mind at all," he said. Monotone stood, and walked over to him.

"Good," she said softly. "Come to the front courtyard after dinner, we can go to the cliffs at sunset."

"I'll be there," he replied, just as softly. Toph heard a moment of complete silence that she knew could only be a kiss.

Monotone left. The door swung shut. Toph made a gagging noise. Zuko chuckled—it seemed Monotone actually _did_ put him in a better mood. He lifted her up by the arm again, handing her a shirt.

"Put that one on over the one you already have," he said. "It would look very strange if you went to the courtyard looking like _that._"

-x-x-

As Zuko led the girl down to the courtyard, he was given time to think. Mai had a point: Did she deserve it? He had been avoiding the question since the previous afternoon. It was complicated. Certainly she deserved a punishment for such outright defiance. But was a sharp beating a fair penalty?

He looked down at her. She looked straight ahead, placing her feet carefully as she walked (which was difficult to do, walking alongside him, with her stride so short and his so long). Her black hair had fallen even more in her face than it had when she had first come. Her eyes were almost completely obscured by her bangs, and her face was framed by longer pieces of hair that had fallen out of…whatever that was on top of her head.

Of course, none of that would bother her. She couldn't see anyway.

"Why are you looking at me?"

Zuko blinked. "I…was wondering how you could see through that hair of yours," he replied, deciding he might as well go for the truth. "Then I remembered it wouldn't matter to you. How did you know?"

"You would know too," she said matter-of-factly, staring straight ahead. "You can feel when someone's looking at you. You always can. Plus I felt your hand shift on my arm, like your shoulder was turning."

Zuko nodded, thinking. Being blind heightened all your other senses—doing his exercises blindfolded would be a great way to improve his skills.

The courtyard opened to their right. He led her through the doorway, but she was hesitant, feeling her way with her feet until she found the step. Then she followed.

"Exactly what do you expect me to do?" she asked irritably. Apparently her back was feeling better. "I already told you, I don't remember where all the flowers go. And I don't even know how to replant flowers."

"I think I do," Zuko said, running a hand through his hair. "I remember watching my mother do it a long time ago. I'm sure I remember."

"I'm sure you do," Dirt Girl responded dryly, wriggling out of his grip and folding her arms. "What, do you just bury it?"

"I think so."

"You're kidding me. It can't be that simple."

"It might be."

"I'm not doing it."

He pulled her down to the ground, so that she was kneeling on the grass beside him. "Yes you are. The Servant Lord is counting on you."

He could see it in her face. Every muscle tensed. Her expression became a scowl for a fraction of a second—then vanished. "Fine."

He handed her a purple flower. "I'm going to have to point out which flowers go in which holes, aren't I?" he said, the realization dawning on him.

"Yep," Toph replied happily. "You're going to spend the whole day with me, Sir Prince of Pansies."

Zuko groaned in despair.

-x-x-

"It looks nice, it really does."

"Hmph. If only I could see it. Somehow, I don't quite believe you. The rows seemed a little crooked to me."

"Uh…I guess they are. I don't think anyone will mind. No one comes in here anymore."

"Why not?"

"Back of the palace, I guess…this is the servant area. And the servants are all too busy to come into the courtyard."

"But Ikoh used to come in here all the time, right?"

"Iroh. And yes, he did. His son's room was right down the hall. They would spend hours here."

"Where's his son?"

"Dead."

Toph felt ill, reminded of her own parents. They probably thought she was dead. She hoped they had received her letter, the one she had sent with Sokka's hawk. "That's sad."

"He was never the same after that. When he joined me in my exile, to find the Avatar—he would always say I was like a son to him. He treated me like one. He never left my side, even after I left his."

"He talked about you."

"When?"  
"I met him. On the road. When I needed help. He gave me advice. And tea."

"And tea." He sounded unsurprised, almost amused.

"And tea," she repeated, nodding. "He said you were a little lost. But he wanted to be there for you when you needed him. I said he should tell you that he needed you too."

Zuko was silent. Toph listened, trying to hear his heartbeat (What she wouldn't give for her bending!) so that she could get some sense of his emotions. She heard nothing. And he didn't say a word.

"Where is he?" she asked plainly. "You haven't told me."

The silence stretched. She could hear the sound of his breathing shift; he was looking away from her now. The breeze picked up. It felt quite nice as a change from the stifling palace. The sun was out again, warming her face. The grass felt cool through the cloth on her feet.

"He's in prison," Zuko responded, sounding like he was fighting to speak. "Because he was considered a traitor."

"Why? What did he do?" Toph asked, frowning.

"He…he fought Azula," Zuko replied, still in that choked voice. "While your water tribe friend escaped with the Avatar. He distracted the Dai Li enough for them to get away."

Toph thought this over in her mind, striving to recall what Katara had said about what happened in the cave. "But you weren't considered a traitor," she said slowly. "Because you didn't fight Azula and the Dai Li. You fought Aang and Katara."

"You still have three more sides to do," he said. Toph thought he sounded defeated, and tired. "And there are weeds in the middle of the courtyard and around the tree."

She heard his muffled footsteps on the grass, leaving the courtyard. "He said you still have to find out who you are," she called to him. "Have you found it out yet?"

His footsteps were a little faster. They never stopped, all the way out the courtyard. Then they slowly faded away, as he walked farther and farther down the corridor.

Then Toph was left with nothing and no one, but the whisperings of the leaves in the bushes.


	7. Skipping and Spinning

A/N I'm writing this on an airplane to Boston, for Thanksgiving. I'm rather tired, but I'll try to make this one good.

**My reviewers: I love you all dearly. :)**

Toph soon found herself working into a rhythm, a pattern of sorts. First came the trimming (for the bushes) then came the weeding, then came the sweeping of the path. She had been at it for hours now, not keeping track of the time, enjoying the feel of the sun and the caress of the breeze. With her bending gone, any sensory experience felt like a breath of fresh air in a still room. Her world felt dulled and bland, like it was beyond her reach. But the wind and the warm daylight made her feel better, like she could see more of the world, even if it wasn't with her eyes or her feet.

She was on the third side of the courtyard, trimming the last bush. She found that talking to them was relaxing, and it helped to relieve the sharp pang of loneliness she was feeling.

"You're a quiet one," she commented to the bush. "Your neighbor was fighting me the whole time. I swear my arms are bleeding, although I can't really tell." She paused to shake a finger at the bush in question. "Yes mister, I'm talking about you.

"Anyway, I'm very grateful. You make my job a whole lot easier."

_Snip. Snip. Snip._

"I was thinking of giving you all names. You know, just so that I could call you something. I'm sick of calling you 'bush' or 'plant'." The bush didn't respond. "That's ok, you don't have to like the idea. But if you could have a name, what would you want it to be?"

No response.

"That's ok too, I suppose."

_Snip. Snip._

"Would it be a Fire Nation name? Just tell me that."

Silence.

"All right, fine. Keep your secrets. I'm done anyway." She stood up carefully, taking the time to feel the ground around her so that she knew where she was. Next, the weeding. Hopefully _this_ side wouldn't have as many weeds as the last one.

The breeze blew through the courtyard again. She could hear the plants rustling all around her, their sounds echoing off of the high stone walls. The sound empowered Toph—perhaps it would be easier to find her way around if she could actually feel the earth beneath her. Even without bending, surely it would make some difference?

She plopped down on the stone path, reaching for her feet. The metal bonds that held the bandages had loosened, and no one had bothered to tighten them. After all, why would she want to take the bandages off of her burns? But her burns didn't hurt her nearly as much now—except when she stubbed her toe, or someone stepped on them. She wiggled the cloth out from underneath the iron ring, unwrapping the bandages as quickly as she could. She needed to try, to feel the earth under her feet again…

Her right foot was free. She felt it with her fingers, noting that it didn't seem to be terribly scarred. The healer had done a good job, and it probably helped that she was able to see a healer so soon after the wounds were inflicted. The skin was a little tough, a little warped—but Katara would be able to heal it with her magical water, right?

The cloth on her left foot came off quicker, as she was more eager to free it this time. Now she was left with bare, burned feet, her ankles adorned with iron rings. "Very attractive," she commented aloud to the bush next to her. "What do you think? Do they match my outfit?"

She grasped a low branch of the bush and heaved herself to her feet, testing her weight cautiously.

Toph was able to stand.

The feel of cool stone felt wonderful, absolutely _wonderful._ There were no words to express the sensation. She rubbed her feet gently back and forth, caressing the path. She took one step, then two—suddenly she was skipping, still cautiously aware of where she was in the courtyard, following the path around and around in circles.

She lost track of time. She began to spin, letting her arms fly out like wings as she went around and around the courtyard. The wind was whistling in her ears, she could hear the plants whispering to her again—

"What are you doing?"

Toph froze, feeling a blush begin to creep up in her cheeks. She pushed it down with the desperation of humiliation, keeping her expression blank.

"Spinning," she said simply, as if it were as normal as walking or sitting. "And skipping. Why do you ask, Pansy?"

Zuko started to approach her, his footsteps slow and casual. "You've done a lot," he commented, his voice away from her; he was looking around the garden. "Have you been here all day?"

"What do you mean all day?" she asked, frowning. "What time is it?"

"It's late afternoon, almost time for supper."

"You're kidding."

"Why would I be?"

She sighed. He was so serious. "So I missed lunch?"

"And breakfast. Hungry?"

"Starved."

He set something down, something that crinkled like a dried plant. A basket? "I thought you might be," he said. "I brought you some leftovers from lunch. As many as I could get."

Toph grinned. "The dogs must hate you for taking away their meal."

"They never liked me anyway."

She laughed. She could hear him smile. (It was a strange thing, hearing someone smile. It was in their breath, the way they let it out when their lips curved upwards. It was audible, but no one with sight ever noticed it.) "What's—well, what _was_ for lunch?"

"I don't know. I had a picnic with Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee in the front courtyard. Azula was craving some meat, and so the cook made it for us. I asked for some leftovers for you, and the cook shoved this basket at me. I don't know what's in it."

Toph walked forward, feeling her way with her feet. It was so much easier now! "Thanks," she said honestly, lowering her hand to ground level and waving it back and forth in front of her as she walked, trying to find the basket. "I didn't realize how hungry I was until now."

His callused hand gripped her wrist, and led it to the wicker basket. "You certainly didn't look hungry just then. What were you doing?"

Toph's fingers drifted over the dry, scratchy surface, opening the top. "I already told you," she said as she searched the basket's contents with her hand. "I was spinning. And skipping."

"With your bandages off?"

"It feels better that way. And it's easier to know where I am." Was that bread that she felt? She eagerly snatched it and began eating—even as leftovers, the bread was spectacular. She made happy noises as she chewed.

She heard Zuko sit down, across the basket from her. "So I'm assuming your feet don't hurt any more."

"Nuh uhliss ah stuh m' tow," she replied through a mouthful of bread, her other hand blindly searching for other food.

She could feel Zuko's stare in his silence. "What?"

Toph swallowed. "I said, not unless I stub my toe. Or someone steps on my foot."

"Ah yes…well, that would hurt anyway, wouldn't it?"

"I suppo—is that pie that I'm holding?"

"Yes."

"PIE!" she exclaimed wildly, cramming it into her mouth. "How could this possibly be a leftover?! Mmm, berries, my favorite kind…"

She heard Zuko stand, the cloth of his robe shifting. His voice came from high above her now; he was so tall. "Can you find your way back to my room?" She nodded. The earthbender had taken special care to memorize the way that morning. "Good. I won't be back until nightfall. I'm spending the evening with Mai."

"Does she have a monotone voice?"

"Yes."

"Ah. Her."

"Yes. Her. I'll be back later tonight. Please don't misbehave? I don't want to have to stay up all night waiting for the Servant Lord to return you again."

Her shudder was completely hidden this time. "Don't worry. I'll be the perfect servant. All the other servants will be jealous of my amazing loyalty and obedience. I'll have the Servant Lord's mouth gaping open. I'll be given an award, by the Fire Lord himself. He might even give me a giant tapestry right next to his."

"That answer was too perfect."

"Why are you complaining about it? And I was serious about the tapestry."

He snorted. His footsteps became softer as he walked away, exited the courtyard, and continued down the corridor. Toph listened until they faded completely, then placed the bread she had been holding back in the basket. She wasn't really that hungry. Food could wait. She _would_ finish this courtyard. And she _would_ rub it in Azula's and Monotone's faces. The stubborn earthbenders weren't defeated yet.

-x-x-

It was dark when Zuko returned to the palace with Mai. Her arm was linked with his, and she leaned on it gently as they made their way through the front hall.

"We should do that more often," Mai said quietly, walking a little closer to him.

He brought up his other hand to stroke her arm. "Definitely," he replied, smiling at her. She smiled softly back.

"Mistress Mai, your carriage awaits you," a footman said, walking up the pair. Mai looked up at Zuko somewhat sadly.

"I guess I have to go, then."

"Come back soon."

"I can't. My family will be busy. A noble family will be staying with us for a few weeks, and we have to prepare."

"Would they mind terribly if I came over and 'distracted' you?"

Mai's concealed grin warmed his heart. "I don't think they could do a thing about it if you did. You are the crown prince, after all." He could still feel her smile against his lips as he gave her a swift kiss goodbye.

He made his way down the hall towards his room, feeling content. Perhaps he'd give Dirt Girl a treat from the kitchen tonight, he was feeling so good. He wondered if she had finished the courtyard…He pushed open the door to his chambers, lighting the torch with his hand as he passed it. The room became alit with firelight instantly—

--Toph wasn't there.

He swept out of his room and stormed down the hall. Where could she possibly be? Perhaps the Servant Lord took her again? He would very much like to have a long talk with that man.

On his way down to the servant's wing, he passed the back courtyard. He didn't give it a second thought—until he heard talking.

"You stupid weed. Come on. Let's go. All your brothers and sisters came out, now it's your turn. Grow up. Get out." He heard a groan and a growl, like someone was pulling on something with great effort. "Don't make me dig you out, you stubborn plant. 'Cause I will. And I'll beat you to a pulp in the process. Literally." More growls.

Zuko stepped on to the path, squinting to see through the darkness. No one had bothered to light this courtyard, since no one ever came in here. But apparently that didn't bother the blind earthbender.

He lit a fire in his palm, spotting Toph in a moment. She was in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by uprooted weeds, pulling on a particularly large one. "Hello, Pansy," she said as he walked up. She looked exhausted. Her hair wasn't up at all now—it all hung down, just a little bit past her shoulders. She almost looked like a Fire Nation girl with her long black hair.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked wearily, thinking that he should know the answers to these questions by now. Why did this girl always astound him?

"Your steps," she said simply. "And your breathing."

"You could hear my breathing?"

"Uh. Duh."

She continued to pull on the weed with enthusiasm. Leaves broke off in her hand, but the plant did not obey her will. "I thought I told you to go back to my room."

"You didn't tell me when. What time is it?"

"It's pitch black out."

"Well I didn't know that. Anyway, I only have one weed left."

He pushed her hand away, and gripped the weed at the root. Then he yanked it straight up with a vengeance. With a crackling sound and a shower of dirt, the plant flew up into the air. Toph scowled.

"I could have done that," she muttered. Zuko rolled his eyes, throwing the weed on the pile.

"Yeah, sure."

"I could have! I was almost there! It was practically out, you just finished the job."

"Of course I did."

"Was that sarcasm, Pansy?"

"No…of course not."

"Shut up. Shut up right now."

Zuko couldn't help but grin down at her. She looked rather silly, sprawled on the ground, surrounded by weeds and covered in dirt. There was a smear on her cheek, and her hands were nearly black. The knees of her baggy pants were ripped in several places, and very dirty. Her bare feet had gotten filthier than Zuko had thought possible, with just a half-day's worth of garden work. He suspected she had been skipping again.

"Let's go, Dirt Girl," he said, taking her by the arm and pulling her to her feet. Even standing, he had to look down on her as he would a dog, she was so short. She stood willingly.

"Fine. I'm done anyway." She let out a huge yawn.

"Tired?" he asked, amused. He fully expected her answer:

"No."

"Of course not."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"No."

"Shut up."

"Déjà vu."

"I said shut up."

They walked in silence for a time, Toph's large bare feet slapping against the stone floor, and Zuko's silent, swift steps beside her. They passed torch after torch, their faces illuminated, then darkening…illuminated, then darkening…

"What do I do after I finish the courtyard?" Toph asked, frowning. Zuko looked straight ahead.

"I don't know," he said, not looking at her. "Whatever they want you to do, I suppose. I'll ask tomorrow. Are you done with the courtyard?" he asked, watching her face. It lit up for a moment, but the expression was hidden quickly.

"Not yet," she said flatly.

She had put on her actress façade. Zuko said nothing, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.


	8. The Letter

"Zuzu, what are you doing?"

He sent a flame along the ground in her direction. He heard her leap lightly out of the way, and land quietly a few feet to the left.

"And what was that for?"

He smiled, even though he couldn't see the look on her face. "Training," he said simply.

"Blindfolded?" Azula asked, and he could hear the frown on her face. How interesting, that he could 'hear' expressions. Perhaps it was only if you knew the person well, and connected the tone of the voice to the expression.

"It heightens all my senses. If you hadn't jumped out of the way, I would have burned you just then, correct?"

Azula maintained her silence. Cloth moved; was she folding her arms? Or stretching her arms up over her head? "Anyway, I didn't come to watch you train. I came to deliver a message."

Zuko didn't respond, as he knew she wanted him to. Instead, he heard the rustling of leaves up above. A tree. He attempted to use the sound of branches and leaves to find the trunk—he struck it squarely with a swinging kick.

The victorious smile didn't linger on his face for long. Azula interrupted: "You've been summoned."

Again, he didn't respond. She said nothing. What did she want him to say? Did she expect him to squirm with the suspense? Zuko ignored her, and attempted to locate other plants in the yard by hearing their leaves. There—to his left.

Just as he swung into position, drawing a flame to his hand and preparing to let it go, Azula spoke.

"It's about your servant."

Wherever the bush was, the flame most certainly did not hit it.

Zuko stood, tearing off the blindfold and glaring at his sister. "Spit it out, Azula," he said dangerously. "What's all the suspense for?"

She smirked at him. "No reason. I just thought you might like to know. Lin wants to speak with you and I about her. Like, right now."

"Lin?" The name seemed unfamiliar.

Azula flapped a hand, uncaring. "Manager of Internal Affairs or some such nonsense. Anyway, he wants to know what we're going to do with the earthbender. I told him, since she's yours—"

"She's not _mine_, for the last time!"

"—then you should probably be at the meeting too."

Zuko sighed, throwing the blindfold to the ground. "When?"

"As soon as possible. Which translates to: right now."

The prince shot daggers at his sister with his gaze as he passed. "Let's go then," he said shortly. A satisfied smile on her pale, beautiful face, she followed.

-x-x-

Toph wiggled her toes. She could swear she had felt that last servant passing. Hadn't she felt his footsteps through her feet, like she always had? Or perhaps it was too much to hope.

How long had that annoying girl said it would last? Three days? Yes, three days. Then she would have her bending back. How long had it been? Two days? No, three.

She would be able to see again.

How long would it take? Would it be _exactly _three days? Well, then she wouldn't get it back until tonight. Maybe it would take less time. Maybe it would take more.

She brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She hoped it would take less time. She wanted to see.

What would happen if she got her bending back? What would she do? Escape? Throw boulders at the general population while she just escaped back to the Fire Nation, where she would be on the run for the rest of her life? A small wave of despair washed over her as she realized she had no place to go now. She would be recognized instantly wherever she went. She would have to remain out of sight, like Aang.

At least he could wear a headband to go out in public.

She leaned back, resting against the tree behind her. Her newfound discovery lay in a pocket of her shirt, hidden from the rest of the world. It was a parchment that she had found at the base of the tree, covered in waterproof material, half-buried in the dirt. She had only found it by pulling the weed above it.

She pulled it out again, fingering the worn edges of the paper. It was old. Its surface was soft from years of existence, and she could barely feel the writing on it—that meant it had absorbed into the paper, and she could no longer feel the raised ink.

Unfortunately, she couldn't read it.

Toph growled and smacked the ground, frustrated. What she wouldn't give to read! It would make things so much easier, to say the least.

At the sound of passing footsteps she hid the parchment in her shirt again, and stared straight ahead like any normal blind person would. The footsteps passed her gradually, but when they finally disappeared, she stayed where she was. Now there was nothing to do but wait. Wait for her sight, wait for Zuko, wait, wait, wait…

-x-x-

Zuko opened the door, his heart in his throat. He had a sinking feeling this discussion was not going to go well—how could it, when the topic of conversation was 'what to do with an earthbending prisoner'?

The room, and its occupant, looked much like Zuko had suspected. It was almost as small as a closet, with no windows and only two torches. A desk was placed directly in front of the door. Sitting in it, his balding head bowed over his work, was a wizened old man with thick spectacles and a very large, beaky nose. At the sound of his door opening, and at the sight of light spilling across his papers, he looked up.

And squeaked.

"Prince Zuko! I-I didn't expect you so soon!"

Zuko closed the door as Azula smoothly stepped in beside him, and the light was cut off. It was rather dim in the room now, and he could only just see Lin's face in flickering torchlight. "What would you like to discuss?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"The matter of your servant," Lin said, taking off his glasses and polishing them nervously. "She is a talented earthbender, as I understand. However, without her earthbending, she is completely blind, making her a liability in the palace."

Zuko frowned. "She's been getting along fine."

"So far," Lin corrected, irritating him to no end. "Another problem is that it is very unusual for a male member of the royal household to own a female servant. The court would immediately assume …"

A snarl rose in the prince's throat. Nobility…did they think of nothing else but scandals?

"It is my professional opinion that she be sent away. Captive benders are rather rare, you see. And contrary to captive waterbenders, we actually have a use for captive earthbenders."

"Mining," Azula put in, making her brother turn. "Metal for our war machines. We have a desperate need of earthbenders." Zuko whirled back to the fidgeting secretary.

"You intend to send the girl to a _mine_?" he demanded dangerously, slamming his palms on the desk and causing Lin to flinch backwards. "To work underground the rest of her life?"

"W-well, y-yes," he stammered in response. "We've received reports that she is defiant, and smart-mouths to all sorts of authority. She's clumsy, useless since she's blind without earthbending, and her earthbending would have to constantly be restrained while she stayed here, she has no known servantry skills…" He trailed off, looking at Zuko imploringly. "Don't you see, your Highness? She's more trouble than she's worth for this palace. She can't stay here."

Heat rose in Zuko, for all that he knew the annoying secretary was right. Azula patted his shoulder gently.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll love it," she said. And even though he had no blindfold, he could hear her smirk. "Think of it! All that sweet, pure dirt…"

Zuko slapped her hand away, never turning his fiery golden gaze from Lin. "I refuse to listen to this," he snarled. "She is _my_ servant, and _I_ will decide what to do with her!"

"What's all this, then?"

Lin scrambled to his feet at the new arrival, bowing deeply. "F-f-fire Lord O-ozai," he sputtered, barely able to form the words. "I-I had n-no idea y-y-you were—"

"—coming?" Ozai finished, raising a thin eyebrow. The secretary was silenced instantly, and his silence permeated the tiny room for several long moments.

"Father, may I inquire why you're here?" Zuko asked, in what he hoped was a respectful tone of voice. He was still battling to choke down his fury, and maintain composure. But when Ozai turned to him, he was reminded once again how authoritative his father was. His stern face revealed nothing, his golden eyes hard.

"Azula informed me about your earthbender, Zuko," he said calmly. "She also notified me of the meeting, and I thought I should oversee it. Now, how has the discussion been going so far?"

"Lin had just proposed that we send the earthbender to the mines," Azula piped up. "Because she's a liability as a servant, in more ways than one."

Ozai nodded. "I had been thinking the same thing. And Zuko may not keep her. It isn't long before nobles stop thinking it an act of compassion, and start thinking it an act of…_passion_."

Zuko clenched his teeth. "Yes, I understand, Father. I was just concerned for the girl's welfare. The mines aren't well known for taking care of their workers."

"Rumors and myth have inflated those kinds of tales, Son," Ozai replied smoothly. "And we have no other choice. She will join others of her kind, I doubt she will be entirely unhappy."

_'Others of her kind'? 'Entirely unhappy'? _He made her sound like an animal. Zuko bit his tongue to keep from speaking out, and bowed his head in defeat. Once the Fire Lord was involved, there was little he could do. And if he protested further, they might take his compassion—as Ozai had put it—as passion. Then they would be even more determined to get rid of her, to avoid scandal. Either way, she had to go to the mines.

"The ambassador to the mining colonies in the earth kingdom leaves tomorrow," Lin spoke up from behind the desk. "He came for the banquet. Perhaps we could show him the girl tomorrow morning?"

"When will she get her bending back?" Ozai asked. Zuko had already worked this out in his mind:

"Tonight," he said to the floor, determined not to look at his father, or at Lin, or at Azula. He felt sure his blood would boil right out of his veins if he did. "She'll get her bending back tonight."

"Does she know that?"

"I don't know. I don't think so; she told me herself she's awful at math. And her blindness inhibits her ability to measure time," Zuko lied smoothly. Of course Toph knew when she was going to get her bending back. It was probably all she had thought about for the past three days. He didn't quite know why he was lying, but the entire meeting was tying his feelings in knots. He just felt it was safe if he didn't tell the truth.

"It won't matter. She'll be able to tell when she gets it back," Azula said simply. She was leaning on the wall at this point, her arms folded across her chest. "She uses her earthbending to see. I'm sure she'll notice when she regains her 'sight'."

"Not if she's asleep," Ozai replied sharply. He faced his son. "I've already thought about this. Here is a sleeping draught, put it in her dinnertime drink. She will sleep soundly until morning—unless she is awoken. But by then, we'll be able to control her whether she has her bending back or not." He handed a clear glass bottle to Zuko, from the depths of his large sleeve. Zuko took it with trepidation, still not looking up at his father.

"Thank you," he said, bowing. "I will do as you ask."

"Bring her to the back of the palace early tomorrow morning, don't wake her up if you don't have to. The ambassador will be waiting to assess her skills." Ozai cast a sharp glance at Lin when he said this, and Lin scrambled to find a piece of parchment.

"Yes, yes he will, Fire Lord," he said, shuffling through all sorts of things on and under his desk. "Early tomorrow morning. He'll be there."

"Good," Ozai said, straightening. "Then, if no one minds, I have other business to attend to." With a nod to both Zuko and Azula, he walked back out the door, letting in the light for a few precious seconds. Then he closed it, and they were in darkness again.

"You really need more torches," Zuko commented, barely able to keep the venom from his voice as he exited after his father.

-x-x-

The sunlight felt so good. It reminded her of home, in a nostalgic way. Of course there was sun in other places besides the Bei Fong estate, but still…the reminder of her family comforted her in more ways than one.

No one had disturbed her as she sat in the courtyard, back against the tree, looking into the sun. Even though she heard footsteps passing her many times, not a word was spoken in her direction. No one even commented on how a short blind servant girl was sitting alone on the grass. Did servants do that often?

More footsteps. Toph recognized them instantly as Zuko's. They had that long, purposeful stride, with quiet steps. He was walking rather fast. Was he angry?

He was making his way towards her. "Hey, Pansy," she said with a smirk. "What's got your ponytail in a knot?"

"I don't have a ponytail anymore, Dirt Girl," he replied. He sounded tired—especially when he flopped down next to her. Toph jumped in surprise, not expecting the 'thud' to be so close.

"Well, something of yours is in a knot," she said, frowning, leaning forward to 'look' into his face. "Since when do you sit down beside me, besides to tell me which flowers go where?"

She heard him take a deep breath. "It's just not been a good week for me," he said at last. "And it just got a little worse." His voice sounded muffled, like he had placed his head on his arms and was talking into his lap.

"Why?"

"Fire Nation business. I'm not allowed to tell you."

"Oh." She leaned back. "That's not fair."

"You're a servant, remember. They're rarely informed of the matters concerning the royal family."

"All right, Mister High-and-Mighty. I get it."

He was looking at her. Staring, actually. She could feel it in the silence, and it made her uncomfortable. What was he looking at? What was he thinking?

"Stop staring at me, Price Pansy," she commanded, shrugging her shoulders to get rid of that shivery feeling she got whenever someone looked at her.

"Sorry. Just thinking."

Toph opened her mouth to say, 'About when I'll get my bending back?' But then she closed it. Perhaps he had forgotten already, and that would work to her advantage. Then again, what would she do even if she got her bending back without his knowledge? Sure, she could escape. Escape to what?

Déjà vu. She had had this conversation with herself already. But Dirt Girl had made her decision; she would escape anyway. She would get back to Aang and Katara and Sokka, and help them with the invasion. There was absolutely no reason in staying here, where she was a poorly kept captive and a forced laborer.

"I have no idea what to do." Toph stopped fiddling with the hems of her pants, and froze. He sounded like he was choking—his voice was desperate, strained. "I have no idea what's wrong and right anymore. One choice makes sense…so much sense. But it just doesn't…it doesn't…" He broke off into silence. Toph didn't say anything, out of pure astonishment. Pansy had never said so many words to her at once. "I want to please him," he said finally, quietly. "I want to make him happy. But I'm starting to think that the things that make him happy are wrong."

The resulting silence seemed to stretch. All she could hear was the wind rustling the leaves of the plants around them, and his breathing. He seemed to be taking deep breaths, calming himself, collecting. They stayed like this for a while.

"Yours is more important."

He turned to her—his voice was direct. "What?"

"Your happiness. You shouldn't sacrifice it for his."

His voice was turned away from her now. "But I want to," he said softly. "I don't want…to make him unhappy. I shouldn't. I'm his son, it's my responsibility to be perfect, and do what he says."

Toph looked down at her knees, and wiggled her finger in a hole in the cloth there. She was starkly reminded of her own parents, how she had pretended to be someone else to please them. How she had pretended to be a docile, helpless daughter, just so that they could be happy.

And she was also reminded of how unhappy she was, forced to act as if she could do nothing on her own—as if she was a feeble little girl, always needing someone. Her pride and dignity were picked apart day by day as her parents assigned someone to help her with _everything_. But she endured it. Because she felt like it was her responsibility to make her parents happy.

"You can't do it forever," she said, still staring at her knees. "He's making you into something you're not, because he's selfish. He wants you to be who he wants you to be, because he's afraid of what you'll become on your own."

-x-x-

Zuko was staring at her openly now. It was obvious that she spoke from experience; her words struck too close to home. She wasn't just pretending.

"You can always break away," she continued, not looking at him. "It will hurt him, but he'll recover. And maybe he'll realize how selfish he was, to make you into something you're not."

"I already hurt him once," Zuko replied, painfully aware of how much he sounded like a child. "He gave me this scar, and sent me into exile."

Toph visibly flinched. "They sent bounty hunters after me. The bounty hunters threw me in a metal cage, so that I couldn't earthbend." She was talking about her own experiences now. "It scared me, and hurt me, that they would send these men after me with no care for how I would be treated. And it made me realize that my parents couldn't really care about me that much, if they sent monsters to chase me and bring me back, like a runaway pet." For the first time, she turned her entire body to face Zuko, staring at him with those clouded white eyes behind black bangs. "If he scars you and exiles you just for thinking differently, maybe he doesn't care about you as much as you think he does."

Zuko said nothing. Toph was now staring at a point above his right shoulder, looking like she was listening intently. For what? His breathing? His next words? How was he supposed to respond to something like that? 'Yeah, I think you're right'? 'No, of course he cares about me'? Both of them would be lies.

Maybe not the first one so much.

He leaned back against the tree; upon hearing him do so, Toph did the same thing. Another moment of silence stretched between them, although it was more comfortable this time as they listened to the wind. Zuko pondered the girl's words, turning them over and over in his mind. They seemed to make so much sense to him…was she right? Should he ignore his father's wishes, because he believed them to be wrong? Would that lead to consequences? (He absently touched his scar, tracing the hardened skin with his fingertips.)

"I'm sorry. I know it hurts," Toph said, breaking the silence. Zuko looked at her; tears were welling in her eyes. "It hurts a lot."

-x-x-

Toph wiped away the tears angrily, embarrassed to let the prince see her cry. It did hurt—when she had come to the realization that her parents hadn't loved her as she thought they had. She still loved them as a child loves a parent, but she couldn't bring herself to forgive them. The pain was too great.

Perhaps it's difficult for anyone loved by their parents to fathom what it's like to learn their parents never loved them (at least, not in the way they had thought). It tears at the heartstrings every time it is thought of, leaving a gaping hole where familial love should be. And like a black hole, it begins to draw everything else in. Toph could feel the pull of the hole, making her yearn to curl up into a ball and cry for the lack of a parent's love.

Zuko took her by the arm, in the same spot he always did. "Let's go," he said. "We'll have a late dinner in my room."

"Wait!" she exclaimed, taking the piece of parchment out of her shirt. "I need help," she said, holding it out to him. "I can't read. What does this say? And read it out loud, not in your head."

Zuko lifted it from her grasp, and unrolled it. He began to read:

_Dear Father:_

_You and I are to leave for Ba Sing Se tomorrow. You are at a meeting tonight, so you couldn't meet me in our courtyard. That's all right. I just wanted to leave a letter for you. _

_I went to a fortuneteller today. I know there are many fake fortunetellers, but I believed this one to be genuine. She was old, with jet black eyes and wild hair. She wore about twelve beaded necklaces, and had stuck a large feather behind her ear like a quill. (Like you once said; the crazier they look, the better fortunetellers they are.) Now, on to the reason I write you this letter:_

_The fortuneteller's name was Joza. She told my future by Seeing into a fire, a fire that I firebended for her. What she said was very disturbing—she told me I was to die in the battle to come. _

_That's why I felt I had to write you this letter. Even if she was wrong, I was going to tell you everything anyway, but if she turned out to be right, I wanted to leave you something. _

_Father, you have always been an inspiration and a friend to me. You give me advice on everything—I don't know if I could survive without your analogies and metaphors! You've given me a childhood that almost feels like a dream. _

_If you find this letter, it means that Joza was, in fact, correct. Don't grieve for me, Father. I don't know if I could bear it if I knew you would fall apart after my death. It would be too awful even to think about. You're so strong, Father, and I know you can continue on without me. _

_Joza also told me that my death would be…unique. She told me that my father would see me again someday. I asked whether it would be in this life or the afterlife; but she went on some crazy rambling, and wouldn't tell me. When I asked her again, she just pressed a white lotus Pai-Sho tile into my hand and shoved me out the door. _

_If you find this letter, her first prediction was correct. That means that her second prediction has a good chance of coming true._

_Even if it doesn't, Father, I will stay with you. I promise. Never feel as if I have deserted you—know that I will never leave. I will be there when you need me. I swear._

_I love you, Father. _

_Lu Ten_

Zuko had gotten progressively quieter as the letter went on. The name was whispered, almost too soft for Toph to hear.

"Was that your uncle's son?"

His voice stayed soft. "Yes, it was. The one who died in battle."

"The fortuneteller was right, then. About the first prediction."

"Are you saying she'll be right about the second?"

"I'm not saying anything."

Zuko took a deep breath. "All right, then. Let's go up to my room. I'm hungry." He took her arm gently, and she stood up. Then Zuko took a step—

--Toph almost gasped outloud.

As soon as he took a step, she saw him. Tall, his hair gathered in a knot on the top of his head, his strides long and purposeful even when he was taking them slowly. She could finally see her courtyard in all its beauty—the bushes stood tall and proud with trimmed branches, the flowers lay in their flowerbeds without weeds to choke them, the maze of paths was clear of debris and wound through the grass in a smooth and curvy pattern. She could feel the vibrations of the vines climbing the walls, and the large willow tree in the center, waving its branches in farewell as Zuko led her out into the corridor.

She smiled, despite herself. It was beautiful.

She had her earthbending back. She could burst out of the walls right now, knocking down anyone in her way as she destroyed walls, buildings, escaping out into the depths of the Fire Nation…

Zuko pinched his nose beside her, taking a deep breath. She felt his face twist into a scowl, as he rubbed his forehead wearily. Toph's shoulders drooped in sympathy. She had given him a lot of painful things to think about. And he had a large decision to make, one where he didn't know which choice was the right one—to make his father happy, or to choose his own path. (A decision that was excruciatingly familiar.)

What was she escaping to again?

His grip on her arm was loose. He didn't think she would run. She could take him by surprise.

He had given her the letter. The parchment was warm in her hands, from when she had kept it against her skin. _I will be there when you need me. I swear._

Iroh had read this letter. He had told Toph when Zuko had run away, that he would 'be there when he needed him'.

She could feel Zuko's heartbeat. It was beating quickly, but not furiously. He was experiencing extreme emotion, but he wasn't manifesting it.

Sympathy rose in her again for the prince. _I will be there when you need me._

No, she would stay. She would help Prince Pansy, when his uncle couldn't. She would remain with him; he needed someone. Toph Bei Fong would be there when he needed her.

A/N How'd you guys like it? D This was my favorite chapter to write, especially the deep conversation that Toph and Zuko had.

I know this chapter may seem like a Toko, but it seriously isn't, I swear. She's just feeling IMMENSE sympathy for him, because he's making the same decision she had to make: between his happiness, and his father's happiness. She also feels very sorry for him because he's alone without Iroh, and he needs advice. Plus, she doesn't really know what she's escaping to. It would be very difficult to find the gaang again, yes? Especially when she has the entire Fire Nation to search, and that's when she has everyone in the palace looking for her!

So she decides to stay with Zuko. (It's not out of romantic interest—may I repeat, this is not a Toko!)

The next chapter shall be the conclusion, where we discover Zuko's decision and Toph's fate.

Read and review! I love to hear from you!


	9. The End

For the second time, Toph was keeping Zuko awake.

It wasn't that she was moving, or shifting, or making noise. (In fact, aside from the occasional light snore, she was perfectly silent.) It was the fact that Zuko's resolve had slipped, and he had poured the sleeping draught into her drink just as he had been instructed. She had consumed it without hesitation. And now she lay on her 'bed', snoring lightly, sound asleep. It had taken her less than ten minutes to doze off.

The room was dark, save for the torchlight under his doorway. He was beginning to hate that light. Why didn't the door go all the way to the floor? He punched his pillow into a more comfortable position, and lay back down on his side again, desperately trying to ignore his conscience.

Several hours passed in near silence. Each time Zuko felt himself drifting off to sleep, he was awoken by some small noise in the corridor, or sometimes by nothing at all. And so he lay sprawled on the bed, frustrated, staring into the darkness of his room.

A noise. Something was moving in the corner, by the window. A person?

He reached automatically for the broadsword that he kept hidden behind his headboard, and wrapped his fingers around its handle. Light footsteps—he wouldn't have heard them if it wasn't for his blindfolded training session. Cloth moved.

That was where Toph was sleeping.

Instinct drove him now. He leapt to his feet, broadsword in hand, throwing fire at the torch over Toph's head. It burst into flame, illuminating the scene, frozen in time like a sculpture:

Toph was awake, sitting up and staring straight ahead, looking a bit shocked. The water tribe boy and girl were standing to either side of her; the boy held a jet black sword, the girl was grasping Toph's arm. Both of them were looking at Zuko like prey, caught in the gaze of a hunter.

And then, in an instant, everything began moving at once.

The girl called water from the glass on his nightstand, gathering it around herself and taking a stance. The boy stepped in front of Toph with his sword pointed at Zuko's chest, looking defensive—and hesitant. Zuko brought his broadsword up to his chest, angling it in a blocking position.

Later he would marvel at how silent it all was.

Suddenly, the girl struck. Water lashed out at him like a whip, giving him a fraction of a second to dodge out of the way, placing his broadsword firmly between himself and the liquid. Even then, the edge of the whip struck him in the side, making him flinch from the sting. The girl called more water, freezing it into ice, and hurling it at him in pieces. He swung his sword expertly to block each of them, and they struck his weapon with metallic 'pings'.

She was forcing him to move so fast he had no time to think, none at all. He was acting purely on reflexes. And when she started throwing five icicles at him at a time, he knew he was in trouble.

_Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping._

He couldn't block them all. One tore at his arm, causing the swing of his sword to falter. Another struck him in the chest, another at the shoulder. Blood droplets were starting to form, and yet more kept coming. He couldn't keep up, he couldn't keep up—

_Crack_.

A tile flew up from the floor, blocking the last barrage of ice, surprising both the girl and Zuko into stopping where they were. Zuko reached out and caught the tile before it could fall, and the shards of ice clattered to the ground.

Both the boy and the girl stared at Toph, who was glaring at them. "Stop it," she said quietly.

"Uh, Toph?" the boy asked, his sword never changing position. "This is Zuko. Prince Zuko. Who chased Aang around the world? Who kidnapped him at the North Pole?"

"Who betrayed us in the cave," the girl added, throwing a horribly venomous glare at the person in question.

Zuko glared right back, although he didn't put much energy into it. Let the girl think what she wanted.

"And now he sits here in the palace, dressed up pretty and dancing at the end of his father's leash—while his uncle, the kind and wise one, rots in prison. Go figure."

His glare was sharp and hard now, and he felt heat rising under his skin. "I never meant for my uncle to go to prison. And I never betrayed you; I was never on your side."

"Weren't you?" she asked, advancing with a dangerous glint in her eye. Zuko did not back away: he walked forward as well, meeting her halfway to match her fierce gaze.

"What would make you think I was?" he snarled. She opened her mouth—

"Enough," Toph commanded, her voice still quiet. "Why have you come, Katara?"

She turned to the earthbender, looking surprised. "To get you, of course."

"Do I look like I'm going anywhere?" Toph asked, raising an eyebrow. "It seems to me like I'm just sitting on a pile of dirty clothes, waiting to be rescued, while my would-be rescuers are arguing with a Fire Nation prince. How horribly tragic for the captive, her rescue attempt destined to fail because her saviors don't know when to keep their traps shut."

The boy took her by the hand, lifting her to her feet. "I didn't forget about you," he said reassuringly. "I swear."

"Yes, you did. You were as focused on Zuko as she was. Your heart was racing a mile a minute."

The boy scowled, although he didn't look very serious when he did it. (He didn't appear to be a very serious person.) "Quit doing that. Feels like you're reading my mind."

Toph chuckled, then turned to Katara. "Let's go, Sugar Queen. You can argue with the prince later. Maybe we'll make a playdate."

The girl walked over, shoving Toph in the shoulder as she walked by—Toph simply laughed. "Oh, and make sure you put his water back. It would be awful if he woke up with a dry throat in the middle of the night, with no water. Wouldn't you feel guilty?"

Zuko half-expected Katara to throw the water at the wall, or out the window. But she surprised him—and the boy—by making the water drift into the air, and gather quietly at the bottom of his glass. Granted, she did gripe and grumble under her breath while she did it.

It wasn't hard to see which one of them wore the pants in the group.

"Will he let you go?" the boy asked Toph, keeping an eye on him. Zuko vaguely wondered why he had asked Toph, and not him. Wouldn't that have seemed the more obvious thing to do?

"He'd better," Katara said, folding her arms and glowering.

"He will," Toph said quietly, meeting Zuko's gaze.

It was unnerving how she could do that, taking into consideration the fact that she couldn't actually see his eyes.

"What makes you think that?" he asked, tightening the grip on his broadsword. He hadn't even come to that decision yet; his mind was still racing, making the ideas and memories and feelings tumble over and over in his mind.

"Because I got my bending back yesterday afternoon," she replied. It felt as if something had exploded somewhere in the corner of Zuko's mind.

_What?_

"I could have left, throwing boulders back over my shoulder and cursing you all as I ran. But I didn't. Because you needed me, Pansy, and don't you dare try and deny it!" she interjected as he opened his mouth furiously. "I was going to stay, and give you a chance, because you were the one person who treated me decently in this whole bloody palace. And because you were the only one who saw me as person, I think you're human enough to let me go." She paused, then added: "But it won't really matter anyway, because I'm sure Katara is craving any sort of reason to beat you to a pulp."

"I'd like to see that," Zuko said calmly, with just a trace of sarcasm. It was just to see the waterbender's blood boil, and it certainly looked like he had succeeded. Her face instantly got redder.

"So are you going to let her go?" the boy asked again, this time directing the question at him.

There was a silence.

Zuko thought about it, and thought about it hard. Tomorrow the ambassador would come to see her, possibly to take her away to a mine, where she would toil away for the rest of her life. Tonight her friends had come, to take her back to the Avatar, where they would plot to overthrow his father and unseat the Fire Nation from their place. Would he allow her to do that? To contribute to that cause?

Was that even the question?

_No_, his conscience countered. _The question is: Will you sentence her to a lifetime of hard labor and slavery, or will you give her the freedom she desires, and allow her to make her own choices?_

Now, _that_ decision he could make in an instant.

"Go," he said simply. "Take her."

Another silence. Katara and the boy stared at him.

"Are you serious?" the boy asked.

"_Yes_," Zuko said firmly, glaring at him. "I said, take her. Go."

"It must be a trick," Katara said, raising a hand towards his water glass again.

"He's not lying," Toph said, a satisfied grin coming over her face. "I can feel it. His heartbeat is steady."

Zuko rolled his eyes, laying his broadsword on the bed and holding his hands out wide. "Look. No tricks. Just take her, and try not to destroy anything on the way out. Please."

"Yeah, we'll try," Katara growled, the scowl never leaving her face as she walked towards the window. "We'll try really hard."

She was opening it, making her way through—but the boy took a few steps towards Zuko. He looked sheepish, and looked at the ground as he sheathed his ebony sword. "Thanks," he said quietly. "I mean it. I don't know what we would do without her."

Zuko noted that he was still holding Toph's hand. And she hadn't let go either.

He shook his head. "There's no need to thank me," he said flatly. "I should be thanking her." She looked up, surprised. "She helped me to see a lot of things more clearly. She's a lot like my uncle, in that way. I was glad to have her; even if it was only for a short time."

The boy grinned. "She has that effect on people," he joked, causing the earthbender to blush, and Zuko to smirk in response.

And for one moment, with both young men grinning at each other, Zuko felt a shock of connection.

"Sokka, let's _go_!" Katara hissed from outside. Sokka, still holding Toph's hand, went to the window and promptly hopped out with her in tow. They were gone.

"You're welcome, Pansy," she called from the courtyard, out of sight.

Zuko smiled.

_"Toph!"_

_"Twinkle Toes!" When he hugged her, it was a complete surprise. He must have been floating on air—she didn't see him at all._

_"Are you all right? He didn't hurt you, did he? I SO wanted to go in there, but Katara and Sokka were all like, 'No! You can't let him see you!'"_

_Toph laughed. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't that bad, actually. Not as bad as you might think. I'm not too scarred."_

_"'Too' scarred?"_

_"What happened?"_

_"Her two water tribe friends arrived. One of them could waterbend, the other had a sword. I had no weapons, and they overwhelmed me."_

_"Ah, those foreigners. So volatile, unpredictable; the lot of them. They're so much more uncivilized than we are, Zuko, remember that."_

_Instead, Zuko was remembering the grin that he and the boy had shared, from knowing a single earthbender girl. _

_" Do you have any idea where they went?" Ozai continued._

_"None, although I have a suspicion they're leaving the Fire Nation as soon as possible. She's recognizable now."_

_"True. Ah, well. The mines lost a valuable potential candidate, hm?"_

_"Yes, Father."_

_"Don't look so serious, Zuko, I can get you another servant, if you want."_

_"No, Father, that's all right. I've had enough of servants for now."_

_"Another package for you, old man."_

_The metal door swung open, a basket was thrown in with a 'thud', and the door slammed shut._

_Whatever happened to civil conversation?_

_Iroh reached through the bars, recognizing the basket as one identical to another he had only received several days ago. He opened the top, snatching the letter and opening it eagerly. _

Dear Uncle,

I let her go. I don't know if I did the right thing, but she's free. Her friends came in the middle of the night. I decided it would be better for her to fight the Fire Nation than be locked up in some mine in the middle of nowhere.

Then again, the enemy just gained a valuable member, didn't it?

I suppose I should feel bad, that I defied my father. The truth is, I don't know whether I feel bad or not. I feel like someone who just stole a cookie from the jar. Should I feel guilty? Or just satisfied, and nervous about getting caught with the cookie? Or the crumbs?

Either way, I thought you wanted to know. She scared me yesterday—she sounded exactly like you. I don't think her parents were very kind to her. She gave me advice on handling my father, and it sounded like she spoke from experience. She also found a letter in your courtyard; you know which letter I'm talking about, right? Surely you read it.

If you haven't, I'm saving it for you. You won't be in there forever, uncle, I promise. With Toph not here, I miss you more and more. I'll see what I can do to get you out, one way or another.

Don't feel like I've deserted you. I'll be there when you need me this time, I promise.

Zuko

_Iroh felt his eyes burning. Those last words seemed horribly, wonderfully familiar, and it brought tears to his eyes and warmth to his heart._

_He reached into the basket for the other object he knew was there: a canteen, with a note that said: "_I didn't make it, so I know you'll love it_."_

End.

**A/N Last chapter. :)**

**I really hoped you enjoyed it. I was really surprised; that ending just came so naturally. Usually I have a really hard time with the very very end…but it seemed to fit.**

**Sorry about the kinda cruddy action scene, there. I'm not very good at action. **

**I love you all, remember to review, I love whatever you guys say. -**


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